Reality Hits A Nerve
by greysfan2012
Summary: Following 9x06 (warning: contains spoilers). Summary: Cristina and the rest of the survivors of the crash deal with the legal proceedings aftermath. Contains mainly interactions with Owen and Cristina, as well as other survivors of crash and lawyers. Do not own any Grey's Anatomy characters all belong to the amazing Shonda Rhimes. Please R&R :)
1. Chapter 1

"Folks we need to go after bigger fish. Bigger than the charter company and pilot," Andrew said.

"Can we leave the pilot out of this? The man is a paraplegic," Cristina retorted.

"Yeah I agree we should take him off the list" Derek agreed.

"Hang on what if he was drunk or asleep," Callie said.

"Folks we will need to investigate him to make our case," Gretchin replied with a firm tone.

"What do you mean bigger fish?" Meredith quietly said.

Gretchin and Andrew looked at each other before saying, "We want to play a couple of phone messages recorded between Boise Memorial Hospital and Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital on the day of the plane crash."

_Message recorded on 22nd of May at 11:00pm "Dr. Hunt it's Susan Rigby Chief of Surgery at Boise Memorial I'm calling regarding the surgeons performing the conjoined twin separation tomorrow morning. Just confirming they will be arriving early this morning. Susan"._

_Message recorded on 23rd of May at 09:43am "Hello Dr. Hunt it's Susan Rigby we haven't had confirmation from you that the surgeons have arrived at Boise yet. Could you please return my call to confirm they have departed from Seattle. Susan"._

_Message recorded on 23rd of May at 12:31pm. "Dr Hunt your surgeons should have arrived three hours ago. Has there been a delay in their departure? Could you please return my call immediately. We have the OR prepped and the twins are in pre-op. Susan"_

_Message recorded on 23rd of May at 4:15pm. "Dr. Hunt we are getting very concerned at Boise. Your staff have not arrived at Boise and you haven't returned my calls. I am calling the Boise airport shortly to see if the aircraft departed Seattle or arrived at Boise. Susan"_

_Message recorded on 23rd of May at 05:09pm. "Dr Hunt I have just finished speaking to aircraft staff it has been confirmed that the aircraft left Seattle at 10:58pm last night and did not arrive at Boise. I am so sorry Dr Hunt. Rescue teams have started searches. Aircraft staff will be in contact very soon."_

"Hunt only returned Boise's phone calls after 6pm on the 23rd," Gretchin said.

There was silence that filled the room. Meredith and Derek gripped each other's hands tightly while Callie stared at the phone in shock. On the other hand, Cristina gazed at the glass barrier separating the group from Owen. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought back to the first night of the plane crash. She had rugged up next to Meredith with blankets and clothes wrapped protectively around their bodies. She had reassured Meredith, _"Owen will send someone"._ She had been sure. It was that small hope that she had held onto for the four days they had been lost in the woods.

"How could this have happened?" Derek interrupted Cristina's thoughts. "I mean, it's protocol when a surgeon from our hospital is transferred to another hospital for a surgery that we update our system, correspond with the other hospital and confirm arrival and departure times."

"Yeah, even with organ transplants, we are always having to sign documents for all this legal crap all the time!" Callie said.

"Now I understand why," Meredith said.

"Folks, we will be having a meeting with Chief Hunt and Larry Jennings tomorrow night to discuss the progress of the investigations. We would really appreciate it if you would all sign this document confirming your support on further investigating Hunt and the hospital," Gretchin said, looking around the table.

The document was passed around the table. Derek and Meredith did not hesitate to sign the form. Callie signed as well, although hesitantly.

Cristina took the form from Callie and looked at it. This was Owen - she couldn't believe that Owen stalled before responding to Boise Memorial's concerning calls. It was Owen. Her husband. Her estranged husband. The guy that bellowed at her in front of her interns despite pushing the hospital board and Jeff Russell to hire her back. She looked at the other's signatures and thought of Lexie. She remembered the look on her face when she told her she'd be right back with fluids.

"Can I think about it?" Cristina asked. "I need to sleep on this."

"Dr Yang," Andrew started.

"I'm sorry I know that you want a decision and this affects the outcome of the settlement. But this... this is Owen."

"Cristina," Meredith started, "you and Owen are estra-..."

"He's still my husband."

Gretchin and Andrew looked at each other. "Okay, we will wait for your decision before tomorrow night."

"Can I also retrieve my support as well?" Callie asked.

Everyone looked at her. "This is not my decision. You need Arizona's opinion not mine."

"Okay, here' s another copy that those who want to can sign and we will await Dr's Yang and Robbins to sign by tomorrow night," Gretchin persuaded. "Thank you folks. Also when we meet with Jennings and Hunt we'd like to have a representative from the group present as well. Just to say a few words on behalf of all of you," Gretchin said looking around.

Meredith, Derek, Callie and Cristina looked at each other.

"I'll do it."

"You sure, Cristina?" Derek asked gently.

"Yeah,... it's late and you have families to get back to. I'll handle it. I want to do this."

Cristina wasn't sure what made her feel so strongly about it. It wasn't Owen's abruptness and estrangement with her, it was about Lexie, and Mark, and Arizona and Jerry. The terrified look on Lexie's face as she struggled to breathe... Mark lying there with a deodorant bottle tube stuck into his chest, looking lifeless, the blood flushed out of his face... Arizona's screams piercing through the dark night... Jerry's voice as she gazed at his injuries... Derek's muffled cries as Mer closed his opened skin with a safety pin... Meredith's voice as she screamed for Derek and Lexie. She had been the most able of the group trying to keep everyone stable while they were in the woods. She had watched as each one deteriorated, helpless with nothing more she could do to improve their conditions. She was frightened. Scared that this is how she could die. How they could all die. The sound of the helicopter four days later was her last memory before she began to sink into her PTSD and reactive psychosis - something she didn't have control over. Then when she moved to Mayo she thought she was moving on with her life. She forgot that she left this hell over the heads of the others. She felt like it was only fair to take on some of the stupid legalities of the crash.

"Ok well that's it everyone. We will update you once we have spoken to Hunt and Jennings," Gretchin wrapped up.

"Alright".


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone. Thank you for your reviews. Much appreciated. It's my first GA fanfiction and after reading what you had to say, I changed the direction I was taking on the story. I've made a few changes in chapter 1 so go back and read it before continuing. I have included some spoilers for 9x07 in here as well. You have been warned. Please R&R and enjoy. I absolutely agree, I can't wait for more C&O screen time. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes.**

**The next morning**

Cristina woke up the next morning to the sound of birds chirping instead of ambulance sirens or traffic. Without opening her eyes, she subconsciously rolled to the other side of the king-sized mattress before falling onto the cold, hard floorboards.

"Ow," she mumbled to herself. She opened her eyes and realised her unfamiliar surroundings. She had been sleeping on a single-bed air mattress. She was in Meredith's house. Meredith's old house. Well, Alex's new house now. She had momentarily forgotten she didn't live in the firehouse any more and is now renting from Evil Spawn.

"Morning," Alex laughed as she leaned against the door frame. Cristina attempted to throw her pillow at him as she tried to entangle herself from the doona.

"Shut up," Cristina said.

"There's brewed coffee in the kitchen and I'm leaving in 15 if you want a ride," Alex offered.

"Since when have you become Angel Spawn? Thanks... oh crap, sorry forgot, I'll be late coming home tonight. Don't worry I'll take my own car. Thanks anyway." She had forgotten about the meeting with the lawyers and the hospital board... and Owen.

"Okay."

Cristina followed Alex into the kitchen. She sat down on the barstool and poured herself a mug of coffee. "So..." Alex started.

"What?" Cristina glanced up.

"What's the deal with you and Hunt? Are you on a break? Or is it separation then eventually divorce?"

"Why do you care?" Cristina demanded.

"...I've had a bit of experience in that area. I guess I know kinda how you feel."

"Are you sure you are feeling well? Do you have a fever or dizziness?" she said putting a hand on his forehead. "First you buy a house, then you stop sleeping with interns, stop saying dude..." Cristina smiled.

"So does Meredith tell you everything," Alex grumbled.

"You've only known us for nine years."

"Yeah, I get used to that."

"It's... I don't know," Cristina sighed. "He's being an ass because I was a bitch."

"Want me to kick his ass?" Alex asked.

Cristina smiled.

"I'll see you at the hospital Yang. Remember to lock up when you leave."

"Yeah, see you."

**Owen POV**

Owen had had a full on morning. Just as he grabbed his car keys just past midnight, his pager went off with an MVC 10 minutes out. Bittersweet, he knew that he should feel sorry for the victims but it was an unmissable opportunity to cut and feel blood on his gloved hands. He needed this after the last couple of days.

Cristina back had thrown him off his game. He felt anger, somehow, that she had come back despite saying goodbye to each other almost four months ago. She had hurt him by telling him she didn't want to talk to him anymore. As Dr Wyatt, had tried to tell him two years ago, he just couldn't name the feeling to deal with Cristina.

**Callie & Cristina**

"Cristina!" Callie called from across the ward.

Cristina was instructing the interns on the post-op care for Russell's patient from yesterday. She turned around and gave her a wan smile.

"Hey."

"The lawyers wanted me to pass this to you to sign. Well, you and Arizona," she gave the form to her.

"Thanks," Cristina said. She looked down at the signatures. "Hang on, Arizona hasn't signed it.

"I know. I took it home with me to sign and I just couldn't ask her. We, er... made progress. She made it to the hospital last night to look at one of Bailey's cases all by herself and then we watched the American Bake-off together. I didn't want to scare her off with the settlement meeting," Callie said.

Cristina merely nodded.

"Look, I know I wasn't there with you guys. I don't know half the story of what happened out there. I can't imagine what it's like to have been there in the woods. But I know you cared for Arizona out there. I never know how to approach all this. Everyone keeps supporting this Jerry guy I have no idea why, but somehow I feel like an outsider and I'm the insensitive one by saying he's the bad guy and we should sue him."

"Callie, he's one of us. He's a survivor and he's a paraplegic. He has a family. A wife and four daughters. Two of them are at law school. One is graduating this year. He had 20 years of aviation experience under his belt. He kept Arizona company when Mer, Mark and I went looking for Lexie and Derek. He's the one that told us to fire the air gun when we heard a helicopter overhead. He told us where we could find first aid kits and extra bottles of water. We trust him. He's one of us. A survivor." Cristina said.

Callie nodded slowly. "I need you to talk to Arizona. She needs to know about the meetings. She refuses to talk to me. Please Cristina."

**Cristina and Arizona**

"Hello?" Arizona answered.

"Hey, it's Cristina", she said.

"Hi."

"How are you?"

"Did Callie ask you to call? I know she's trying to make me get out of the apartment. She used Bailey yeasterday, and now you. Don't waste your breath Yang. I'm sorry I don't have time. I'm busy, I don't need all of..."

"They want to sue Jerry for negligence".

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Arizona?"

"No... no way."

"They want to sue Hunt and Seattle Grace."

"Why?"

Cristina took a deep breath. "He didn't respond to any of Boise's calls when we didn't arrive. They're trying to make a case against the hospital. That we shouldn't have been on the plane in the first place."

"...Cristina..."

"I'm going to send a document with Callie for you to sign saying that you agree that we shouldn't charge Jerry and that we need to further investigate Hunt and the hospital."

Arizona sighed. "Okay".

**Cristina and Interns**

"Dr. Yang," Shane (the intern) said, "we have monitored Mr Keating's progress overnight he's stable for now and his charts are up to date."

"Who's Mr Keating?" Cristina asked without looking up.

"Dr. Russell's patient from yesterday," Heather piped up.

"Okay, great. Keep a close eye on him and make sure any change in his blood pressure you page me before paging Russell."

"Did everything go okay between you and the Chief, Dr Yang?" Shane asked.

"What?" Cristina looked up.

"Well, he said that Russell may fire you, and..."

"I'm standing here telling you how to manage Mr Keating's post-op care how do you think it went? Happy, it's not your concern to inquire about my career! What are you still standing here for? You're interns - your job is to impress me and not kill anyone."

"Sorry Dr Yang," Shane disappeared.

"You! Mousy! Come with me, we've been paged downstairs for a consult on a double aortic arch. You know what it is?"

"It's a vascular ring where the aorta continues to divide into 2 separate arches on either side of the esophagus and trachea and then merge together as one vessel and ends up being a descending aorta," Heather said.

"Mousy for the win," Cristina said as they entered the ER. "You ever seen one?"

"No ma'am, I've only read up on them," Heather said timidly.

"Well you will assist me if you can answer the following questions: What symptoms indicate the formation of an aneurysm?"

"Dyspnea, respiratory distress or infection, swallowing difficulties and gastroesophageal reflux," Heather recited.

"Good..." Cristina started.

"38 year old female suffering from dyspnea and gastroesophageal reflux, swallowing difficulties. Vitals are slightly dynamic. BP at 148/96, pulse is rapid and sats at 97%," Owen repeated the hand-over to Cristina and Heather. Cristina listened to the patient's breathing and heart sounds through her stethescope.

"Okay, Mousy, we need an extensive work-up: a chest x-ray, chest CT, cardiac MRI, ECG, and book an OR and prepped. We need to open her up now before the aneurysm bursts and she goes into cardiac failure," Cristina ordered.

"Yes Dr Yang," she replied.

"No Dr Majorino (Heather), you need to tell the OR to prep for a bronchoscopy before opening the patient up," Owen retorted. "Dr Yang, around here, we have protocols for a reason."

"I think that doing a bronchoscopy is time wasted. We know the patient has had a history of a double aortic arch, we can just open her up in there and deflate the aneurysm."

"I said no. Order a bronchoscopy Majorino."

"Dr Hunt," Cristina started.

"Dr Yang, stop being so arrogant. You don't have free reign to just go over Russell's head and perform a surgery you are not even consented to perform. Consult Russell and do a bronchoscopy." With that, he left the room.

"So should I call Dr Russell to get a consult?" Heather asked.

"Did you not hear me before, Mousy. Book an OR and prep her for surgery," Cristina replied.

"But the Chief just said," she started.

"Just do it. And get Happy in there too. I need all hands on deck."

**In surgery**

"Okay so now I am going to divide the left side of the vascular ring. Why do I do that?" Cristina asked.

"To reduce the compression of the esophagus," Heather answered.

"Mousy you are on a roll today," Cristina said. "And Happy, if the patient had a right aortic arch and left ligamentum arteriosum, how would I approach this procedure?"

"You would create the division between the descending aorta and pulmonary arery."

"You two have done your homework..."

"DR YANG!"

Owen burst into the room. Although he was masked Cristina could tell his face had turned red with fury. "When I asked you to perform a bronchoscopy what part of that sentence translated into a double aortic arch repair?"

"It was indicated in the patient's scans and her clinical examination in the ER."

"Why did you not perform a bronchoscopy initially?"

"I could not risk the aneurysm rupturing during the time it took to perform a bronchoscopy!"

"Stop working now! Ross page Russell and get him to come in to take over!"

Beep Beep Beep

"What happened?" Shane asked.

"The aneurysm ruptured while I was re-routing her blood vessels to bypass the aneurysm," Cristina said.

"Dr Ross!"

"Don't listen him Happy! Suction now!"

Shane could not do anything but suction as Heather passed Cristina the instruments.

Owen bellowed, "Dr Yang!"

"Trying to save a life, Chief Hunt."

Owen knew he was overreacting but she had just gone over his head and he was furious. She was taking advantage of him in front of the interns.

As the patient's blood pressure went back to 128/80 and oxygen saturation went to 98% Cristina repaired the rupture and continued the surgery. Owen stormed out of the OR, but not before saying, "Come find me after the surgery Yang".

"Dr Yang, I read a paper written by Dr Craig Thomas on his approach to vascular rings. Are you following his approach by dividing the surgery into two sections by repairing the aneurysm and then fixing the vascular ring?"

"Yes I am," Cristina said.

"How many times have you performed it?" Shane asked.

"Once. Sometimes it is better to put the patient under once and perform two surgeries at the same time," she addressed the interns.

"Apparently Thomas performed a very similar procedure two weeks ago. If you've only performed it once Dr Yang how do you remember this procedure so well when we have more advanced technology to perform this surgery? It was rumoured he was going to publish it, but no-one knows whether he performed it or not," Shane said to Heather.

"Isn't he over 80 years old. The guy wrote the 1st edition of _The Anatomy and Physiology of Cardiothoracic Surgery_ textbook we used at med school. I'm surprised they still let him in the OR," Heather replied.

"There's a rumour going around that he fainted during the surgery too," Shane said.

"What are you the surgical gossip whisperer?" Cristina asked annoyed.

"Dr Yang, you were at Mayo weren't you? Were you able to watch the surgery?" Shane asked.

"I assisted Dr Thomas yes," Cristina said quietly.

"So is it true, I mean did he faint?" Shane asked excitedly.

"Maybe instead of doing a 4 1/2 hour surgery he should taken a raincheck and gone for an afternoon nap," Heather laughed.

"Or maybe it's time for him to retire with his ten cats before he hits the bucket," Shane laughed too.

"Suction," Cristina said.

"Sorry Dr Yang," Shane apologied.

"Did you know him Happy?"

He shook his head.

"Then you can't pass judgment. He was my mentor for four months and he was old. To him, every procedure every technique was from the medieval ages. He brought old school back. So when he taught me this technique which I am showing you now one day you will understand that it is just as important to have these skills despite living in the present with all the technology we already have," Cristina said.

"And to answer your earlier question Happy, no, he did not faint because he forgot to have his afternoon nap. He collapsed, had a heart attack and died during the middle of our surgery - that is why I remember this procedure so well. Now shutup and suction!"

The room fell silent.

**Owen and Cristina**

After the surgery Owen paged Cristina once again into the conference room.

"You know as well as I do that I had to perform both procedures together," Cristina broke the silence.

"Just let's see what Russell says," he answered back gruffly.

"Dr Hunt, Dr Yang, what happened?" Russell walked in.

"The aneurysm burst and I repaired the-..."

"Shhh..." Russell held a hand up.

"The patient is stable now," Owen added.

"Dr Yang, thank you. You have great instincts, and thank you Hunt. Now I know why you pushed for her," Russell said as he walked out the door.

Cristina looked to Owen and saw slight awkward red flush in his cheeks. THeir eyes met and he looked away.

"Don't you dare pull this shit with me again," Owen said. "You defied me, Yang, you went over my head. Clearly Mayo did not handle your arrogant self and you thought by coming here back to a safety net you'd be able to get away with this crap!"

"If it was any other fellow, you would've encouraged them to continue the surgery but it's different with me, isn't it. If you don't want me here, why did you hire me back, Owen?" Cristina asked. "What are we?"

He ran his hand through his hair and down his neck.

Cristina continued. "Because the last time, you looked at me the way you are looking at me now - with cold and anger, is when you cheated on me!"

Owen stood up and pushed the chair aside. "We want different things! We don't work!"

"Then let's divorce. You can go and find someone who has _your_ vision and have a basketball team of kids."

"No."

"Why? You clearly can't be around me and-..."

"Fucking hell, Cristina. Don't you see? I still love you," he said. And with that he walked out of the room.

Cristina watched him walk away.

**Let me know what you think. :)**


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